Sorry I took so long to update. It seems I'm saying that about all my stories. Well anyways I hope those of you still reading this like this chapter....review for me and I'll update more soon.
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Meg stood with her hands shading her eyes from the bright glare of the midday sun. She heard the crack of a bat and then groans as the ball sailed over her head and into the woods behind her.
"Nice catch Meg,"Cole muttered.
Her cheeks flushed and she scrambled backwards into the brush,"I'll get it!"she called at the same time as Bob dashed into the woods a few yards away.
She stumbled over tree roots scanning the ground as quickly as she could for the ball. The two of them raced through the thick underbrush and suddenly Meg spotted the ball a few feet away.
"Ha!"she exclaimed and bent down to get it. However Bob was also leaning to retrieve the lost article and their heads met with a sharp crack. Meg stumbled backwards, landing in a pile of dead leaves, while Bob clutched his head in one hand and the ball in the other.
Bob squinted as the pain began to subside and reached down to help Meg up,"You ok?"he asked.
Meg grimaced,"I think so, but you've got one hard head Bob Younger."
Bob grinned and then pushing the hair off of her forehead, tilted Meg's face down to inspect the swelling on her forehead.
"That's a pretty big bump you got there Meg, you sure you're ok?"Bob said his face scrunched up in concern.
Meg shrugged,"I'll be fine, I always am."
Bob brushed his thumb against the bruise forming above her eye, and Meg squinted up at him. She could feel his breath on her cheek and for the first time she noticed how close they were standing. Meg bit her lip and made eye contact with Bob and the two of them stood holding their breaths for a moment.
Then Meg stepped backwards and Bob cleared his throat,"I-um-have the ball....we should head back,"he mumbled.
Meg nodded and turned towards the field, trying to will away the steady flush that was creeping up her neck onto her cheeks. She turned to Bob,"Actually, I don't really feel like playin anymore...can you tell the others I went home?"
Bob nodded and kicked at the rocks near his feet as a flustered Meg dashed off in the other direction.
Bob trudged back to where his cousins stood waiting for him.
"Well it took you long enough,"Jesse yelled,"Have you got the ball?"
"Yea,"Bob replied.
"Hey, where'd Meg go?"Frank asked.
"Uh, she didn't feel like playing so she went home."
Zee shook her head and Cassie glanced around,"It is almost time for supper, maybe we should all head home and just keep playing tomorrow."
They boys agreed and everyone broke off to head their separate ways. The Youngers decided to walk along with their cousins and eat dinner at their house that evening. Bob walked along silently for a while and then grabbing Cole's arm dragged him off to the side.
"Hey Cole,"he began,"how would you go about...impressing a girl?"
Cole turned to Bob,"Why do you want to know?"
Bob shrugged and stared at his feet. Cole's eyes widened and he smirked,"Hey Bob, do you like a girl?"
Bob frowned and shuffled his feet,"Aw....leave me alone Cole."
Cole shrugged and walked alongside his brother, smirking the whole time. Then he started again,"You like Meg don'tcha Bob?"
Bob glared,"I said leave me alone Cole! Besides not like you don't like Cassie."
Cole's grin faded and he shrugged,"Fine, if you don't want advice from an expert, little brother, then suit yourself."
Bob snorted,"If I wanted advice from an expert, Cole, I wouldn't have asked you."
Cole shoved him and Bob laughed, they were approaching the James' farm and Bob decided if he was going to ask anyone who he wanted to take him seriously, he'd ask Frank.
~~~~~
After supper Frank headed out to their barn to let the horses out to get some exercise. Bob trailed after him and finally gathering his courage he turned to his cousin.
"Hey Frank?"
"Yea Bob?"Frank replied,"What is it?"
Bob shifted uneasily,"Well....you've had girlfriends before, right Frank?"
Frank glanced at his cousin,"Yea, I have Bob. Is there something on your mind?"
Bob shrugged,"Well I was just wonderin...um...how would you go about impressing a girl?"
Frank's eyebrows shot up and he turned to face his cousin,"Well, how come you wanna know?"
Bob shrugged and avoided eye contact with his older cousin. Finally he turned to him and said,"Listen Frank, please don't tell anyone....especially not Cole....I think I like Meg,"he said and glanced at his feet as his cheeks flushed.
Frank nodded,"Well Bob, I guess you should just start with being yourself. But try to be polite, if that's possible. And also maybe try holding her hand. That's a good way to start. Once you think you're ready, and she's ready too, because you don't wanna be slapped, then you can try kissing her."
Bob nodded,"Thanks for the advice Frank, I'll try that. And thanks for agreeing not to tell anybody, Cole would never let me live it down,"he grinned and turning headed back into the house.
~~~~
Meg stood with her hands shading her eyes from the bright glare of the midday sun. She heard the crack of a bat and then groans as the ball sailed over her head and into the woods behind her.
"Nice catch Meg,"Cole muttered.
Her cheeks flushed and she scrambled backwards into the brush,"I'll get it!"she called at the same time as Bob dashed into the woods a few yards away.
She stumbled over tree roots scanning the ground as quickly as she could for the ball. The two of them raced through the thick underbrush and suddenly Meg spotted the ball a few feet away.
"Ha!"she exclaimed and bent down to get it. However Bob was also leaning to retrieve the lost article and their heads met with a sharp crack. Meg stumbled backwards, landing in a pile of dead leaves, while Bob clutched his head in one hand and the ball in the other.
Bob squinted as the pain began to subside and reached down to help Meg up,"You ok?"he asked.
Meg grimaced,"I think so, but you've got one hard head Bob Younger."
Bob grinned and then pushing the hair off of her forehead, tilted Meg's face down to inspect the swelling on her forehead.
"That's a pretty big bump you got there Meg, you sure you're ok?"Bob said his face scrunched up in concern.
Meg shrugged,"I'll be fine, I always am."
Bob brushed his thumb against the bruise forming above her eye, and Meg squinted up at him. She could feel his breath on her cheek and for the first time she noticed how close they were standing. Meg bit her lip and made eye contact with Bob and the two of them stood holding their breaths for a moment.
Then Meg stepped backwards and Bob cleared his throat,"I-um-have the ball....we should head back,"he mumbled.
Meg nodded and turned towards the field, trying to will away the steady flush that was creeping up her neck onto her cheeks. She turned to Bob,"Actually, I don't really feel like playin anymore...can you tell the others I went home?"
Bob nodded and kicked at the rocks near his feet as a flustered Meg dashed off in the other direction.
Bob trudged back to where his cousins stood waiting for him.
"Well it took you long enough,"Jesse yelled,"Have you got the ball?"
"Yea,"Bob replied.
"Hey, where'd Meg go?"Frank asked.
"Uh, she didn't feel like playing so she went home."
Zee shook her head and Cassie glanced around,"It is almost time for supper, maybe we should all head home and just keep playing tomorrow."
They boys agreed and everyone broke off to head their separate ways. The Youngers decided to walk along with their cousins and eat dinner at their house that evening. Bob walked along silently for a while and then grabbing Cole's arm dragged him off to the side.
"Hey Cole,"he began,"how would you go about...impressing a girl?"
Cole turned to Bob,"Why do you want to know?"
Bob shrugged and stared at his feet. Cole's eyes widened and he smirked,"Hey Bob, do you like a girl?"
Bob frowned and shuffled his feet,"Aw....leave me alone Cole."
Cole shrugged and walked alongside his brother, smirking the whole time. Then he started again,"You like Meg don'tcha Bob?"
Bob glared,"I said leave me alone Cole! Besides not like you don't like Cassie."
Cole's grin faded and he shrugged,"Fine, if you don't want advice from an expert, little brother, then suit yourself."
Bob snorted,"If I wanted advice from an expert, Cole, I wouldn't have asked you."
Cole shoved him and Bob laughed, they were approaching the James' farm and Bob decided if he was going to ask anyone who he wanted to take him seriously, he'd ask Frank.
~~~~~
After supper Frank headed out to their barn to let the horses out to get some exercise. Bob trailed after him and finally gathering his courage he turned to his cousin.
"Hey Frank?"
"Yea Bob?"Frank replied,"What is it?"
Bob shifted uneasily,"Well....you've had girlfriends before, right Frank?"
Frank glanced at his cousin,"Yea, I have Bob. Is there something on your mind?"
Bob shrugged,"Well I was just wonderin...um...how would you go about impressing a girl?"
Frank's eyebrows shot up and he turned to face his cousin,"Well, how come you wanna know?"
Bob shrugged and avoided eye contact with his older cousin. Finally he turned to him and said,"Listen Frank, please don't tell anyone....especially not Cole....I think I like Meg,"he said and glanced at his feet as his cheeks flushed.
Frank nodded,"Well Bob, I guess you should just start with being yourself. But try to be polite, if that's possible. And also maybe try holding her hand. That's a good way to start. Once you think you're ready, and she's ready too, because you don't wanna be slapped, then you can try kissing her."
Bob nodded,"Thanks for the advice Frank, I'll try that. And thanks for agreeing not to tell anybody, Cole would never let me live it down,"he grinned and turning headed back into the house.
